The People's Enemy: A Grimy Little Crime Story

Is this worth your Tuesday night?

If you like movies where the bad guy is almost as pathetic as he is dangerous, sure. You’ll probably enjoy the grit if you’re into the old-fashioned underworld stuff. But if you need your gangsters to be cool or slick? Skip it. You’ll find this guy, Vince, just plain annoying.

Vince M. Falcone is the kind of guy who thinks wearing a tuxedo makes him a gentleman. He is wrong, of course. Watching him try to blend in with the society crowd feels like watching a cat try to do long division. It is awkward.

There is this one scene where he’s trying to be all fancy for his new family, and he looks like he’s in physical pain from just standing still. It’s actually kind of funny. You can see the actor thinking, how do I hold this drink without looking like I’m going to rob the waiter?

The transition from his life of crime to his fake life of luxury happens way too fast. One minute he’s shaking people down, the next he’s sitting at a dinner table looking uncomfortable. The movie doesn't really care about the details of how he got there, it just wants to get to the part where he deserts everyone.

Melvyn Douglas shows up as "Traps," the lawyer. He’s the only one who seems to know what movie he’s in. He brings this strange, calm energy that makes everything else feel a bit louder than it needs to be. It’s a nice change of pace from the yelling.

The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in a room for twenty minutes, and then suddenly we’re three years into the future. It’s like the editor just got bored and started snipping things out.

Honestly, it reminds me a bit of the stuff they were trying to do in The Price of Vanity, where people think money is going to solve their personality problems. Spoiler: it never does.

The little girl in the movie? She’s fine, but the writing treats her like a prop. She shows up when they need someone to look sad, and disappears when they need to have a loud argument. It’s a bit cynical, really.

By the end, you’re just waiting for the inevitable. The movie doesn't try to be profound, which is probably for the best. It’s just a story about a guy who can’t stop being a crook, even when he’s wearing a nice suit. 🥃

Notes from the couch:

• Vince’s eyebrows do more acting than most of the supporting cast.
• The lawyer’s office is suspiciously clean for a guy working for the mob.
• Nobody in the 1930s ever seems to put their drink down before they start a fight.
• I swear the same background extra appears in three different scenes, just wearing a different hat.